Digimon Tamers: A Different Story
by Yusei-pal473
Summary: As the title suggests, this is a different take on the 'Digimon Tamers' series. Takato and Henry meet Takato's creation and Digimon partner Guilmon for the first time, then they take on many foes. Takato will even meet his dream girl Rika. Rukato in the future. Rated T for safety reasons. May change it later on.
1. Prologue

**Okay, **_**Digimon Tamers**_** fans, lately I've been watching the show and thinking to myself, 'I wonder what it would be like to write a different version of the show in a multi-chapter story?' Keep in mind that the characters and their Digimon partners will stay the same, but what about a different take on the characters themselves? Rip me a new one if you want, but there is a story on the site called 'Bleach: An Alternate Tale', featuring lead character Ichigo Kurosaki in a timeline as a Soul Reaper all this time. This is called 'Digimon Tamers: A Different Story'.**

**Disclaimer: Toei Animation owns **_**Digimon.**_

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

"_Radio"_

* * *

**Prologue**

It was in the afternoon at Shinjuku Middle School, where a young boy named Takato Matsuki was waiting patiently for school to end. While he was waiting, he felt a spitball hit him in the head. He looked around and saw the class clown Kazu Shioda and his best friend/crony Kenta Kitagawa laughing their heads off. Takato knew that Kazu was the one who fired the spitball because he saw the straw in his hand.

The bell went off and Takato thanked his lucky stars that school was over because 1) he didn't want to deal with Kazu today (or any day of the week for that matter); and 2) he was going to meet his best friend Henry Wong at the Shinjuku park today. _'Okay, I've got to show Henry these cards I've got. He might even give me a few pointers on how to improve my game,'_ the young lad thought. He made his way to their usual meeting grounds.

Now, Takato and Henry went to the same school, but since Henry knew his friend well enough to know that he didn't want to deal with Kazu or Kenta, they chose the park to meet up at after school. They still talked in the cafeteria during lunch and that's when Takato would be at his clumsiest. This is due to the fact that his crush, Jeri Katou, would often catch his eye. Much to his embarrassment, he often trips up (mostly due to either of the aforementioned punks) and Henry has to help him up. The duo often play the Digimon card game over there, in a small concrete hut **(A/N: Yes, Ladies and gents, the same place that would be Guilmon's home at the beginning of the show)**, where Takato would come up with some good combos, but at the wrong time, which is why Henry wins most of the time.

* * *

Takato was on his way to the hideout when he saw a shadowy blur go across his face from his left and into the forest—in the trees to be precise. He looked to see what it was, having caught a good glimpse of its shape. "Huh, must've been a squirrel. I've never seen one that big before though," he said to himself. The 'squirrel' was actually watching him at the park, not offended, but amused at his thought process.

Takato got up to the hideout to see that Henry wasn't there yet. "Aw man, he isn't here yet. Momantai, Takato. You can still continue working on your 'out-of-school' art project." He took his notebook out and opened it to a drawing of what looked like a red dinosaur with a white belly and black on its nose, chest, and arms. Takato was still finishing the details on it, but he thought it looked pretty cool. "Okay, I just got to put some detail on your claws here and then give you a name. Hmm, let me see. Oh I know! Guilmon! That sounds like a good name for him! And…done!" he exclaimed.

"What's done?" a voice asked from behind him.

"Oh hey, Henry. I just got finished with a drawing of mine. It's a Digimon I thought of."

"I know. I saw the drawing. It looks pretty cool. Guilmon, was it?" Takato nodded. "Nice name for him."

"Uh, thanks."

"Listen, Takato, I've been hearing rumors that a certain area of the town has housed citizens that had their wish granted. I want to go check it out. Care to come?" Henry asked.

"Sure thing, Henry. Oh yeah I almost forgot. Check these out. I just got them yesterday on my way home," Takato said as he showed Henry some cards.

"'Hyper Speed', 'Strength', 'Power', and 'Hyper Wing'. Not bad, Takato. Not bad. Now let's get going."

"Right."

* * *

The two kids arrived in the southernmost part of Shinjuku by train and were on their way to the spot Henry mentioned. They made their way to an alleyway that was abandoned except for a few cats. "Well, Takato, this is the spot. I just hope they were true," said Henry.

"Who did you hear the rumor from?" Takato asked.

"I heard it from a conversation between Kazu and Kenta."

"Then it was probably a hoax. Even if Kenta was the one who brought it up, it's probably just a baseless rumor he made up."

"I don't know, Takato. I'm getting some strange vibes off of this place."

"Now that you mention it, Henry, so am I," Takato said, taking his notebook out in the process. "Do you think I should try it?" He turned to the page that had his finished drawing.

"Go ahead and see what happens. If it's true, then Kenta's going to get a little credit for this." _'As much as I'd hate to give him or Kazu any credit at all,'_ Henry thought.

Takato wished for Guilmon to be a real Digimon. Once he got finished, his deck glowed for a few seconds before stopping. Takato looked through his cards until he came across a blue card with a digital creature on it. Takato was confused, but Henry was shocked. The main reason: Henry had an actual Digimon partner that he didn't tell his friend about because either 1) Takato wouldn't believe him due to being tricked by Kazu before; or 2) He wouldn't leave Henry alone until he agreed to show him. Henry decided to take his chances. "Hey, Takato, do you have your card scanner with you?" he asked.

"Yeah I do, why?"

"See if you can run that blue card through the scanner." Takato looked at him suspiciously. "I'll let you know if my suspicions are correct." Takato did as he was told. Once the scan was complete, the scanner glowed and turned into a small device with a red lining around the screen. There was a small, red lanyard at the top of it. Takato and Henry looked around to see if Takato's entire wish came true.

"Aw man. Where's Guilmon?" Takato asked after he couldn't see his creation.

"Uh, Takato, look over there," said Henry, pointing at a wall. Takato looked and saw what Henry was talking about. He looked at his drawings, then the Digimon and compared the two.

"Huh, well at least it got the stats right, but how are we going to take him back to our part of town?" That got Guilmon's attention, so he went over to his creator. Sniffing him out, he concluded that the human was friendly and smiled. Takato petted Guilmon on the head, which he liked so much that he lied down on his back for a belly rub, which Takato happily gave him.

All this time, Henry was smiling at the two. He suddenly got an idea. This was where he was going to reveal his secret to Takato. "Hey, Takato, do you remember those cards you showed me?"

"Yeah. What about them, Henry?"

"Do you think that if you used the 'Hyper Wing' card, that Guilmon could carry us both home?"

"I know he can carry us, but I don't know about the card. Why?"

"Run your 'Hyper Wing' card through the scanner to Digi-modify Guilmon. He should have the wings on him," Henry explained.

"Okay, here goes something," Takato said after he put his notebook back in the bag. He took out his 'Hyper Wing' card and begun the process. "Digi-modify, Hyper Wing Activate!" exclaimed the new Tamer.

"Uh oh, I feel funny," said Guilmon. The light wings appeared on his back, three on each side of him. He began to float upwards as Takato and Henry grabbed on. Takato got on the Dinosaur's back while he carried Henry. "Wow! What a great view! Takatomon, do you think we'll see more views like this?" Guilmon asked.

"I'm sure we will, Guilmon. And my name is 'Takato', not 'Takatomon'!" answered Takato.

"I can tell you two are going to have a lot of fun together," Henry commented.

CHAPTER 1 END

* * *

**I just thought that I would give you guys a sneak peek of my newest project. Now keep in mind that I still have to work on 'Symbios-Issues' and 'Chaos Control to PacWorld', but I'll continue to update as time goes on and inspiration comes. I'm officially starting this in January, so keep your eyes peeled.**


	2. Henry's Secret, Takato's Dream

**Alright, readers, this chapter will be the start of the story since the first one was a prologue. Here goes something.**

* * *

**Henry's Secret, Takato's Dream**

With direction from his new Tamer, Guilmon got Takato and Henry home safe and sound. The three of them landed on the building that housed the Wong family so Henry could get inside and retrieve what he was going to reveal to Takato. Since Guilmon was new to the world still, Takato stayed outside with him. "Boy you were right, Takato. This is a nice view," Guilmon said.

"Yeah you're right, Guilmon. I can even see the school from here. And my family's bakery as well," said Takato, obviously eager to show Guilmon around the city. He also reminded himself to not reveal Guilmon to Kazu and Kenta due to the fact that they would want him for themselves. The duo heard a door open and turned around to see Henry. He had in his arms what looked like a doll with really long ears.

"Takato, Guilmon, I'd like you to meet my Digimon partner," he said as Takato's scanner went off. He took it out of his pocket and it scanned the Digimon's information.

"My scanner shows that this is Terriermon, an Animal-type Digimon at the Rookie level. Its special attacks are Bunny Blast and Terrier Tornado. Man this thing's pretty cool," said Takato.

"That device is called a 'D-Power'. It normally allows you to scan information on any Digimon, but since Guilmon was just created, it's not in the databanks, which will work to your advantage against other Tamer's partners," Henry said. "As you saw earlier, it allows you to Digi-Modify your partner Digimon as well. There's also an additional function that I still haven't figured out yet."

"I'm sure we'll be able to figure it out eventually. Like I said, this thing is pretty cool."

"Yeah you bet it is. Listen, Takato, and listen well: our parents can't know about the Digimon. If they do, who knows what will happen to them? I don't want to lose Terriermon and I'm sure you don't want to be separated from Guilmon either. We have to keep them a secret from everyone else. Got it?"

"Got it, Henry," said Takato.

"Momantai, Henry. We'll be fine as long as your little sister doesn't put me in a dress again," said Terriermon, shuddering at the thought.

"What does he mean by that, Takato?" Guilmon asked.

"Whenever I'm at school, my little sister Suzie likes to dress Terriermon in a dress and diapers and call him 'Princess Pretty Pants'. She doesn't even know that Terriermon is real," Henry explained.

Takato tried to hold in a laugh but to no avail. Guilmon on the other hand was confused. "THAT'S NOT FUNNY! YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW WHAT SHE DOES TO ME IN THE PROCESS!" Terriermon yelled.

"You're right, Terriermon, it's not funny…" Takato began.

"…IT'S FREAKING HILARIOUS!" Henry finished. Guilmon finally got the joke and laughed with everyone except Terriermon.

* * *

After the explanation, Takato and Guilmon said goodbye to Henry and Terriermon and went to the park to find a place for Guilmon to hide, knowing that he was too big to hide from his parents. "Hmm, let's see…in the bushes? No, you'll be too uncomfortable there. The trees are too high. I highly doubt the branches will hold you too. You might be uncomfortable there as well," Takato said to Guilmon.

"What about by the lake, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked.

"No, someone will see you. I don't want to take that chance," answered the new Tamer. "And I told you to stop calling me that!" Takato then looked around and saw the shed that he and Henry hang out in after school. "The shed, that's perfect!" Takato exclaimed. "Let's go, Guilmon."

"Okay." The duo didn't even know that they were being watched by the same 'squirrel' Takato saw earlier.

'_She's going to love this,'_ the 'squirrel' thought before zooming off.

* * *

_(Dream Sequence…)_

_Takato was in the park on a bright sunny day playing with Guilmon. Suddenly, the sky turned gray and Takato saw that he and Guilmon were the only ones in the park. They looked up and saw a huge mammoth-like Digimon about to run both of them over. "Takato!" Guilmon shouted after the wild one hit Takato, knocking him to a tree._

_The mammoth charged in Guilmon's direction and almost slammed into him before he got rescued. Takato opened his eyes and saw that Guilmon's rescuer was none other than the 'squirrel' he saw. He also saw the silhouette of a girl with a ponytail, short-sleeved shirt, and blue jeans. He saw that the girl had a D-Power like his, only with a blue trim and lanyard. The 'squirrel' took down the mammoth and the girl turned around and gave Takato a hand. The shadows began to clear when…_

_(Dream Sequence end)_

Takato jolted awake in a cold sweat, panting really hard. Once he caught his breath, he looked around for his D-Power, realizing that the 'squirrel' he saw in the park wasn't a squirrel at all, but a Digimon. He searched the databanks for this Digimon until he saw the same one from both the park and the dream. It was a yellow fox with purple swirls on its knees and purple gloves on its arms. The gloves had the 'Yin-Yang' symbol on them.

"That wasn't a squirrel like I thought it was. It was Renamon, an Animal-type Fox Digimon at the Rookie level, just like Guilmon and Terriermon. Her Diamond Storm and Power Paw attacks can pack a punch. I just hope she's friendly enough to forgive me for calling her a squirrel," Takato said to himself before going onto his balcony. "Renamon, if you're out there, I'm sorry if I insulted you."

* * *

Around the same time, Renamon had just gotten back to her Tamer's house, which was a traditional Japanese house with koi ponds. Renamon opened the door to her Tamer's bedroom and found that the girl was just getting out of the shower. "There you are. Did you have fun at the park?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. There's a new Tamer in town, and his partner is a Digimon that I'm not familiar with," said Renamon.

"A new Tamer and an unfamiliar Digimon, huh?" the Tamer asked. "What do they look like?"

"My, aren't you interested. The Digimon has a Saurian-based appearance. He's colored red with some black on his snout, arms, legs, and tail. His chest is white, but it has the 'Digital Hazard' symbol on it. The Tamer called him Guilmon," Renamon said.

"Well Guilmon isn't coming up in the database, so he must be brand new. What about the Tamer?"

"He is around your height and age, wearing a blue shirt, khaki shorts, and yellow-rimmed goggles. He also has messy brown hair. His personality can only be described as 'sweet & innocent'." This shocked the Tamer, as there was only one person in all of Shinjuku with that kind of personality and she had yet to meet him.

"Takato Matsuki," said the Tamer, catching Renamon's attention.

"You know him?" Renamon asked.

"Not personally, but my grandma gets her bread from his family's bakery in town. She told me he occasionally helps out there. Grandma even gave me the same exact description you just did. Since he just became a Tamer, I am a little eager to meet him." Renamon knew her Tamer well enough to know that she could really care less about a new Tamer, but Guilmon had grabbed her attention before Takato was even brought up. Renamon had a feeling that they would even leave an impression on one another.

The Tamer got into bed after putting her nightclothes on. When she went to sleep, she had just one thought on her mind: _'Takato Matsuki, I can't wait to meet you.'_

* * *

The next day, Takato and Henry were just getting out of school. Henry noticed something wrong with his friend. Before he could ask though, they were interrupted by the sound of Jeri's voice. "Hey, Takato, do you have any plans for the weekend?" she asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately, I've got to help my parents in the bakery once I'm done with my homework. Why?" Takato asked.

"Oh, I just thought that if you had some free time, you could go to the local skating rink."

'_Oh great, another chance to make a fool of myself,'_ he thought. "Hey, Jeri, are Kazu and Kenta going to be there?"

Jeri shook her head. "No they're not. I didn't invite them because I know how much you and Henry can't stand to be around them."

"That's awful nice of you, Jeri. I'll see what I can do," Takato said.

"Okay. Thanks, Takato," Jeri said.

After Jeri left, Henry decided to ask his question from earlier. "Hey, Takato, what's wrong? You seem like something's bothering you."

"Yesterday, before we went to that district where wishes were granted, a blur ran right past me. I thought it was a really big squirrel at first, but I looked on my D-Power last night and discovered I may have insulted a Digimon. Renamon, to be precise," Takato answered.

"Ouch. That doesn't sound good. I hope Renamon doesn't kill you," said Henry.

"Tell me about it. I also had this dream last night where me and Guilmon were playing in the park. The sky turned dark all of a sudden. Then this mammoth-like Digimon appeared and attacked us. It hit me first before going after Guilmon. Before it hit Guilmon, though, Renamon showed up and saved him without even getting hit. This girl also appeared. Apparently, she was Renamon's Tamer because she Digi-Modified her. I couldn't quite tell what the card was though.

"After that, she turned around and offered me a hand. And that's when the dream ended," Takato finished. That left Henry in some deep thought.

"So do you believe that this Renamon you saw has a Tamer as well?" Henry asked.

"Yeah I believe so."

"Well I've got a lot of homework to do, Takato. If you see Renamon again, you and Guilmon try and talk to her. She may even lead you to your dream girl," Henry joked before leaving.

"Oh shut up!" exclaimed Takato. "Looks like I'd better visit Guilmon."

* * *

Takato went to the park where the concrete shed was. Luckily, Guilmon stayed there all night without getting into trouble. The Saurian Digimon heard Takato approaching. "Hey, boy, how'd you sleep last night?"

"I slept like a log. What about you?" Guilmon asked back.

"Not so well. Lucky you," Takato remarked before seeing that Guilmon was sniffing in the air. "Oh yeah, I got you some food."

"It's not that, Takato. I smell a Digimon nearby." That got Takato's attention, so he turned around and saw a familiar Digimon in the trees.

"What the- That's Renamon!" Takato opened Guilmon's gate so he could get out. "C'mon, Guilmon, we need to catch up to her!" the new Tamer exclaimed. He then pulled out his D-Power and a card. "Digi-Modify, Speed Activate!"

Guilmon ran faster as Takato got on his bike. The duo followed Renamon until they got to a certain spot in the park—the lake. Takato and Guilmon looked around for the feisty fox until they heard her voice. "It's nice to see that bike isn't useless, Takato Matsuki!" Takato looked in the tree behind him and saw Renamon was there.

"Renamon, if this is about the 'squirrel' insult, I'm sorry," Takato said to her.

"This isn't about that, but while we're on that, I did hear you're apology last night." Renamon approached the pair. "There was no need. I actually thought it was kind of funny. This is actually about you and my Tamer."

"So you do have a Tamer. Where is she?" Takato asked.

"Right behind you, Takato Matsuki," said a voice. Takato and Guilmon looked behind them. The former got the biggest shock of his life: Renamon's Tamer was indeed the same girl from his dream.

"It's you…Y-You're Rika Nonaka," he whispered.

CHAPTER 2 END

* * *

**So Takato's finally met the 'girl of his dreams', Rika Nonaka, who also happens to be Renamon's Tamer. I bet you're wondering what's going to happen between these two, aren't you? Well, that's for all of us to know once I get it typed up. Just so you know, I'll only bring the 'squirrel' joke up once in a while after this chapter. I don't know about you, but I think this is turning out to be pretty good. Happy New Year, everyone!**

**I'm also going to explain a few new features I'm adding to the D-Power (for those who don't know, that's the Digivice in the **_**Tamers**_** series):**

**1) One additional function is something that I like to call 'D-Link', short for 'Digital Link'. It allows Tamers to link their D-Powers and Digi-Modify their partner's Digimon in what's called 'Cross Digi-Modification'. It's essentially like a Tag-Team system. The only cards this will not work on are the basic 'Digivolution' and 'Matrix Digivolution' cards. The Tamers would need a card I'll come up with called 'Cross-Digivolution', which allows the Tamers to Digivolve their tag partner's Digimon. This is the function Henry couldn't figure out.**

**2) The second additional function is the ability to look up Digimon in the databanks without having to encounter them, similar to the Pokedex in the **_**Pokémon**_** series. As you saw, one example was when Takato looked up Renamon.**

**Other than those two, the D-Power's essentially the same. I hope you don't mind too much.**


	3. Meet Rika Nonaka

**Now to continue with 'Digimon Tamers: A Different Story'. I got a review warning me about the D-Link feature I included on the D-Power. Let me clarify what I mean by 'Tag-Team system': What I mean by that is two Tamers teaming up and digitally linking their D-Powers to Digi-Modify their tag partner's Digimon in addition to their own. I will be careful about that, though.**

* * *

**Meet Rika Nonaka**

Takato was shocked to see the girl that was known as the 'Digimon Ice Queen' in person and that she was talking to him of all people. "Now how do you know my name, Takato Matsuki?" Rika asked. She knew that he was going to ask the same question and hoped and prayed to high heaven that Takato's answer wasn't her mother.

"I actually knew about you because of the Digimon Card Tournament last year. You've got to be one of the best Tamers ever," Takato said, unknowingly answering Rika's prayers. "Now I know you knew I was going to ask the same question." Rika gave an amused reaction from both the compliment and the fact that her newest acquaintance practically read her mind.

"My grandma Seiko gets her bread from your family's bakery whenever she needs it. She even described you to me." Rika stepped closer to Takato, who backed away for obvious reasons. "Now don't be shy. Renamon told me about you and your Digimon, so I just thought I'd see how skilled you are. I'm not going to have her absorb his data like we usually do. I just want to see how you can fair as a Tamer."

Rika's attitude perplexed both Takato and Renamon, both of them knowing that she has a normally cold personality, even though the former had just met her. Nevertheless, he got ready after having to explain the training situation to Guilmon. Lucky for Takato, Guilmon knew his own techniques, so he was somewhat prepared. "Okay, Takato Matsuki, you decide who gets the first move!"

"This is actually Guilmon's first fight, but ladies first, Ms. Nonaka," Takato said, shocking Rika.

'_And here I thought chivalry was dead. I'm really starting to like this boy already,'_ Rika thought. "So Guilmon really is a rookie. You heard him, Renamon."

"Right," Renamon said, charging at Guilmon. Her paws glowed and lit up in a blue flame. "Power Paw!" She struck at Guilmon with a punch, which he decided to counter.

"Rock Wrecker!" he exclaimed, catching Renamon's punch. Renamon kneed the young Saurian in the gut, causing him to let go. She then kicked Guilmon right back in Takato's direction. Takato then caught Guilmon and took the fall himself, surprising Rika again.

"Are you alright, Guilmon?" Takato asked.

"I'm fine. I just wasn't prepared."

'_He broke Guilmon's fall. Even though Digimon are just data, he actually risked himself for his partner like he was something more than that,'_ Rika thought. Guilmon got up and ready for a real fight. "Are you okay?" Rika asked.

"We're just fine, Ms. Nonaka. Thank you," Takato answered, unaware that Rika's question was meant specifically for him and not Guilmon. Takato then pulled out his D-Power and a card as Guilmon charged with another Rock Wrecker. "Digi-Modify, Hyper Speed Activate!" This time, thanks to the speed boost, Guilmon's Rock Wrecker hit Renamon and sent her flying into a tree. Just as Renamon was about to get up, an apple fell and landed on her head.

"That little dinosaur can pack a punch," Renamon said.

"It was that 'Hyper Speed' card that his Tamer used. Smart move if you ask me. What's say we step it up a notch?" Renamon looked at her Tamer and nodded. "Digi-Modify, Power Activate!" Renamon leapt into the air and formed energy into diamonds around her.

"Diamond Storm!" the fox Digimon exclaimed. The diamonds flew towards Guilmon, who still had the 'Hyper Speed' card activated. Guilmon dodged to the best of his ability. He still got hit by Renamon's Diamond Storm, though. "Gotcha, Guilmon. You can't escape."

"Pyro Sphere!" exclaimed Guilmon. The attack caught Renamon by surprise. Takato and Rika checked how much damage each of their Digimon.

"Renamon's taken 60% damage. What about Guilmon?" Rika asked.

"Amazingly enough, Guilmon took the same amount," Takato said. This surprised both of them. _'Man, I can't believe I'm keeping up with Rika Nonaka. Then again, she has to be holding back so Guilmon won't be destroyed.'_

'_This boy's doing amazingly well. 'Hyper Speed' was a good choice on his part. I think I'm in love,'_ Rika thought. "I'm very impressed, Takato Matsuki. Although, Renamon and I are holding back just a little. What's say the next hit wins?" she asked.

"You got it, Ms. Nonaka. Are you ready, Guilmon?"

"I'm ready, Takato."

"What about you, Renamon?" Rika asked.

"Same here, Rika. Power Paw!" Renamon exclaimed.

"Rock Wrecker!" exclaimed Guilmon. When the smoke cleared, Guilmon and Renamon each had an arm extended with a paw on the other's cheek. Guilmon was the first to fall, followed by Renamon.

"Guilmon!" Takato shouted, running towards the Digimon. He checked on Guilmon first, then Renamon. "I'm sorry, Guilmon. I know we were battling the 'Digimon Queen', but I should've done better than that."

"Don't blame yourself, Takato Matsuki. You're a good Tamer and Guilmon's a good Digimon," Rika said. I took some time to figure him out. The fact that you broke his fall, the fact that he didn't show up in the database…you created him, didn't you?" Takato nodded. "Well, even though Renamon and I were your guys' first opponents, you did pretty well. Here's a tip: practice, practice, practice. You can have the most powerful Digimon in the world, but it won't do a lick of good if you don't practice your skills. With the time you take in training your partner, you can improve on yourself as well."

"Thanks, Ms. Nonaka," Takato said.

"Please, call me Rika."

"I wouldn't be offended if you would just call me Takato. Hey, I know this is a long shot in the dark, but I'll be helping my parents at the bakery during the weekend if you want to…you know…come by. I mean, that's up to you." Rika giggled at his nervousness.

"I'd love to. Grandma Seiko has to get some bread this weekend anyways, so why not? I'd love to hang out with you some more." Takato looked at his D-Power and saw what time it was. "Got somewhere to go?" Rika asked sadly.

"Yeah, I've got to get Guilmon back to his hideout and head home. My parents would freak if they saw him and I have some homework to get done," Takato said. "But I am looking forward to hanging out again, Rika. You and Renamon stay safe on your way back."

"Don't worry about us, Takato. We'll be fine. You and Guilmon stay safe."

"We will." With that, the two Tamers and their Digimon parted ways, leaving the battlefield as friends.

* * *

Takato and Guilmon got back to the concrete shed and saw Henry and Terriermon waiting for them. "There you guys are. What happened? Terriermon and I picked up a fight that you guys were having with another Digimon," Henry said.

"You're not going to believe what happened, Henry. Renamon actually led us to her Tamer. It turns out that it was the same girl from my dream. She was none other than Rika Nonaka, the 'Digimon Queen'." This surprised Henry, as he knew that Rika was pretty cold on a normal basis.

"What the heck would the 'Digimon Ice Queen' want with someone like you, Takato? No offense."

"She wanted to see how I faired against her in a battle. Guilmon and I didn't do half-bad, but I know that there is plenty of room for improvement. Rika and Renamon held back enough to where they wouldn't destroy Guilmon."

"Oh, so you got on a first-name basis with your 'dream girl', huh?" Terriermon joked.

"Terriermon…" said Henry.

"Momantai."

"Takato, as a friend, I'm going to give you some advice: you can hang out with Rika if you want to, but be careful. I don't want her using you for any kind of personal gain," Henry warned.

"Okay, Henry, but she has been kind to me thus far. She even told me to practice with Guilmon as often as possible," Takato said.

"Good advice from an expert."

"Plus, during the battle she was smiling, almost as if she was having a good time."

"Ooh! ~Takato and Rika, sitting in a tree~," Terriermon began.

"Terriermon…" Henry began.

"Oh come on, Henry! Can't I have a little fun?"

"Only if you want Suzie's 'Princess Pretty Pants' torture again." That shut Terriermon up.

* * *

Later that night, Takato got his homework done and he got ready for bed. He found that he had one slight problem. _'Why can't I sleep tonight? That was an intense battle and I know I'm worn down, so why am I still wide awake?'_ he thought. He then looked at his D-Power and saw that he had a message. _"I had a good time today, Takato. I'll see you again at the bakery. Rika."_

'_Could it be because of Rika?'_

* * *

Meanwhile, Rika got her homework done as well and, like Takato, got ready for bed. Renamon phased into the room to speak to her. "Rika, you've been acting strange ever since Takato was brought up last night. Is something wrong?"

"Huh? No, nothing's wrong, Renamon. Why?"

"Because you've had a smile on your face ever since we met Takato and Guilmon at the lake, you were kind to him even though you gripe at your own mother for trying to make you wear dresses and hats, you had me hold back just enough so we wouldn't destroy Guilmon, and you gave him advice when you normally put down your opponent. I can understand the Guilmon thing, but why the other ones?"

Rika pondered a moment to find an answer. Why was she nice to Takato when she's normally the 'Ice Queen'? "I guess…I don't know. I guess Takato's innocent looks and personality got to me today. Judging from the battle, I could tell that he would be the type to sacrifice himself for his friends. I guess he's just pure-hearted enough, but I could tell that he has his own bullies to deal with at his school," Rika said. "I just feel the urge to help him not just as a Tamer, but as a person in general. I guess we were meant to meet each other, because I know he can help me in the same way."

"So essentially what you're saying is that you two are destined to be soul mates?" Renamon asked.

"I guess so, Renamon. I guess you could say that I'm in love."

CHAPTER 3 END

* * *

**So Takato and Guilmon had their first battle and it was against Rika and Renamon. The next chapter will have Rika volunteering at the Matsuki Bakery. Keep your eyes peeled.**

**More features I'm adding to the D-Power: Messaging (if it's been done before, let me know), Health Meter (the ability to check the Tamer's partner's health), and Com-link.**

**Also, Rika is going to be a bit OOC in this when it comes to Takato. Takato, Henry, Guilmon, Terriermon, and Renamon are going to stay true to form.**


	4. Trust

**Trust**

At the Nonaka household, Rika got ready for her day. She did her typical routine of brushing her teeth, combing her hair, and putting it up in a ponytail. She shot herself a quick smile in the mirror, knowing that Takato was looking forward to seeing her again. After the battle between Renamon and Guilmon, she was unusually excited to see him. That scared Renamon because she knew her Tamer never got excited. If she had a yen for every time Rika showed that she was in a good mood, she wouldn't be very rich. "Rika, don't you think you're overexerting yourself?" Renamon asked.

"Oh come on, Renamon. I promised Takato that I would head over there today," Rika answered.

"Yes, but you don't have to keep up the smile. Not that it's a bad smile, but you do have a reputation to keep." Renamon paused for a second. "Did you even ask your grandmother if you could go with her?"

"Yes, Renamon, I did."

"Rika, are you ready to go?" Seiko called.

"Yes, Grandma, I am!" Rika called back. "I told you, Renamon."

"I suppose that since Takato will be at the bakery, you want me to check on Guilmon?" Renamon asked.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea. I want Takato to trust me as much as possible. For some strange reason, I feel like I could trust him. Does that make sense?"

"What normally makes sense for other people, Rika, doesn't make sense for you." With that, Renamon left to check up on Guilmon.

'_I know when I've been insulted, Renamon, but I don't care,'_ Rika thought.

* * *

Takato was helping to get the bakery ready to open. He didn't let Rika and Renamon know that he had already called Henry to see if he and Terriermon could watch over Guilmon while he was working. Henry agreed, knowing that Takato was going to be busy, while Terriermon was excited to simply get out of the apartment and away from Suzie for a day. Takato had just finished the last of the initial bread and, when it had cooled off, put it on the shelf.

Takato saw Seiko and Rika and noted the fact that they were early today. He went outside to greet them. "Hey, Miss Seiko. Hi, Rika," he said.

"Hey, Takato. What's up?" Rika asked.

"Oh not much. You actually came here just in time. We just got finished stocking the shelves."

"Well I must say, these look pretty good, Takato," Seiko said.

"Heh thanks. Care to come in?"

"Certainly." Rika had never been to the bakery before, so the minute she stepped in she could immediately smell the freshly-made bread. She then decided to ask Takato's parents a question.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Matsuki, do you think it's alright if I helped Takato here? I'm sure you guys can use an extra hand," she asked.

"Well, Rika, that's actually up to your grandmother," Takehiro answered. Rika looked at her grandmother for an answer.

"It's not like I need any help today and your mother is out of town still, so why not? You and Takato seem to have gotten pretty close already," said Seiko. Rika didn't show it, but this excited her.

"Okay, Rika, when you're working in a bakery, it's standard procedure to wear an apron and either a chef's hat or hairnet," Mie said, coming out of the back with said items, "your pick."

Rika thought for a minute. "I'll pick the hat." She put the hat on and, with a little help from Takato, got it just right. Once Seiko paid for the bread and said goodbye to Rika and Takato, she saw that they were the only ones in the kitchen, so she turned her attention to the young baker-in-training. "So, how do I look?" she asked.

"You look great, Rika," he said, but got a blush on his face, feeling like he embarrassed himself. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yep, you did," she said with her own blush. The two then shared a laugh.

* * *

Renamon got to the park where Takato kept Guilmon hidden, only to find the gate open. "That's weird." She then saw Henry and Terriermon hanging out with Guilmon and eating food.

Guilmon smelled Renamon nearby. "Hi, Renamon. It's a nice morning, isn't it?"

"It's lovely, Guilmon. Who're these two?"

"These are mine and Takato's best friends Henry and Terriermon," Guilmon said while pointing at both of them.

"So you're the 'Ice Queen's' partner. I've got to be honest, I've never expected you or her to socialize with Takato and Guilmon," Henry said.

"Why do you insist that Rika's heart is that cold? She's been thinking about Takato Matsuki for a while now. She even fell asleep smiling and she had me check up on Guilmon here," Renamon said. "If anything, Rika is anything but an 'Ice Queen'."

Henry still wasn't convinced, given that he has a strong mistrust for Rika. This was her Digimon partner who looked like she could easily win at a game of Poker. "You know, I wish these D-Powers had a digital lie detector in them," Henry said.

"And I wish we Digimon had the ability to detect lies, human," Renamon said in retort.

"Where is your Tamer at, Renamon?" Terriermon asked.

"If you must know, Terriermon, Rika is helping Takato at the Matsuki Bakery."

"Now why would Rika want to help Takato at the bakery? Is she trying to use him?"

"No, human, she's not. It's as I've told you, she's been thinking about him ever since we met him and Guilmon." Guilmon had his face full of bread. "That's real cute, Guilmon. Rika trusts Takato to help her any way he can. She wants to earn his trust by helping him as well."

"What do you mean by 'help her', Renamon?" Henry asked.

"Takato had already begun to break her icy shell even before they met."

"Well I've news for you: two punks at our school pester and bully Takato to the point where he only trusts me, Terriermon, Guilmon, and a girl named Jeri Katou. Their names are Kazu Shioda and Kenta Kitagawa. So technically, it will be tough to earn Takato's trust."

"I see…" Renamon said after a pause.

* * *

Takato was teaching Rika how to make bread, from the kneading to the actual baking part. While they were waiting for the bread to finish, they decided to play the card game. Rika, of course, won every time, even though Takato did come up with some good combos like he does against Henry. Rika had to admire his skill. "I know I beat you all the time, but you're actually pretty good. I take it you've been practicing?" Rika asked.

"Well every day after school, I play with my buddy Henry. He usually wins, but I've had a few under my belt," Takato answered. The timer went off. "Oh, that's the bread." The kids cleared the table and took the bread out of the oven. They set it on the table to cool off. "That one's going to look great on the shelf."

"Oh yeah. Now about this 'Henry' person, is he a Tamer as well?"

"Yeah he is, but I haven't seen him and his Digimon partner in action. His partner's name is Terriermon, and he's a rookie level like Guilmon and Renamon."

"Then unless Terriermon can Digivolve, we better not waste our time battling him."

"Hey c'mon, Rika, Henry's my best friend. I absolutely hate when people talk trash about my friends," Takato said with a stern look on his face. This scared Rika. She looked at her hand and saw that she had some flour on it.

"Takato, do you trust me?" asked Rika. The question took Takato by surprise.

"Well I did up until you dissed my friend. To be honest, Rika, I don't know if I should trust you or not."

"Oh, don't be like that," she said, caressing his face. "I'm really sorry, Takato." Rika blushed at what she was about to do. She kissed him on the cheek and stayed there, causing Takato to have a wild blush himself.

They heard a shriek, causing Rika to jump away from Takato. They looked at the kitchen door and saw Jeri with tears in her eyes. Takato didn't know, but Jeri felt the same way about him that he did her. This was why she invited him to the skating rink this weekend and not Kazu and Kenta. Takato tried to talk to her, but Jeri ran off. "Oh man."

"I take it you really liked that girl?" Rika asked. Takato nodded, making Rika regret her timing. "I'm sorry again, Takato." Rika didn't know, but Takato also had flour on his hands as well. He also knew about the handprint Rika left on him. Takato did know now that both Jeri and Rika had a crush on him. He also knew that if they get in a feud, it would result in a headache for him. He decided to be extra careful with the both of them. Rika gave Takato a hug to comfort him. "I…had no idea that you two were going out. I guess I better leave," she said.

"No, Rika. I want you to stay," Takato said sadly. Rika changed her mind, figuring that he could use the company. "That was Jeri Katou. I've had this crush on her for a long time now." Once Rika heard that, her expression grew even more downcast. "Hey, don't feel bad, Rika. It's not your fault."

"Takato, she's got a crush on you too. I essentially ruined one of your friendships by kissing you on the cheek. I don't want to ruin another one." Takato knew this was his chance to get payback at Rika for the floury handprint on his face. He didn't know what it was besides the thought of payback, but he also wanted to kiss Rika. He decided to take that chance.

Rika felt his hand caress her face and also the flour. She knew about the payback plan, but decided to let him have it. Takato's original target was Rika's cheek, but Rika turned her head slightly and he wound up kissing her lips. Takato knew what he had hit and pulled away. "S-Sorry about that, Rika. I-I didn't mean to…" Takato began before he was interrupted.

"N-No, Takato, it was my fault. I'm the one who turned into it." They both looked at each other with a heavy blush on both of their faces before laughing. The reason was that it was the first kiss for both of them.

"You know, I'm going to have to talk to Jeri about what happened the next time I see her, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I also hope that this is the start of something more."

"Same here."

* * *

Nighttime rolled around and Takato and Rika said goodbye to each other after Takato dropped Rika off at her house. They kissed each other again and Takato went back home. Renamon arrived at the house soon after. "So, how was your day at the bakery?" she asked her Tamer. She saw the love-struck smile Rika had on her face.

"Renamon, it was wonderful. He taught me how to make bread, we played a few rounds in the Digimon Card Game, and we even kissed," Rika said in a happy tone.

"Well you might not be happy to hear this, but Takato asked his friend Henry to watch after Guilmon while he was busy. Henry is…"

"'a Tamer', I know, Renamon. Takato told me about Henry and his partner Terriermon."

"Terriermon happens to be a little smart-ass. Also, Henry revealed something to me about Takato's trust issues." That caught Rika's attention. "I want a confirmation on this. He told me that the only ones that Takato trusts are him, Guilmon, Terriermon, and a girl named Jeri Katou. This is due to being bullied by two boys named Kazu Shioda and Kenta Kitagawa. If you plan to get anywhere else with Takato besides a kiss, then you must tread carefully."

"The thing is, I accidentally made Jeri cry by kissing Takato on the cheek. I also told Takato that taking on Henry and Terriermon would be a waste of time unless Terriermon had a Champion State. For a while, I thought I ruined my chances with him after that."

"Don't worry, Rika. I'm sure he still cares about you. I suggest you go to bed. I'm sure you're tired after today's events."

"Goodnight, Renamon."

CHAPTER 4 END

* * *

**Okay, so I started the Rukato thing earlier than I expected, but that was Chapter 4. Now we know that both Rika and Jeri have a thing for Takato, but Rika nabbed him first. Poor Jeri.**

**Just so I'm clear, I'm a Rukato fan, not Jerato. I'm just including her for the sake of the storyline.**

**Also, Alice McCoy will be in the story in the future, Naito Writer, so don't worry about a thing.**


	5. Consoling Jeri

**Okay, my last chapter focused on a little issue we all had in our lives called 'Trust'. I was originally going to call it 'Fun in the Bakery', but I figured out that I used the word 'trust' as a recurring theme in that one, so that's what I called it.**

**Here's chapter 5.**

* * *

**Consoling Jeri**

Takato got home after he dropped Rika off safe and sound. He decided to call Henry and tell him what happened at the bakery, including his current predicament with Jeri and his newfound relationship with Rika. Since he didn't want his mom and dad eavesdropping, he decided to use the D-Power instead. _"Hey, Takato, what's up?"_ Henry asked from the other end of the line.

"Not much, Henry, but I'm kind of in a jam here," said Takato.

"_What kind of jam?"_

"Well you see, Rika volunteered to help at the bakery today…"

"_I know. Renamon told me, Terriermon, and Guilmon."_

"Renamon was there?" Takato asked, surprised that Renamon would take the time to visit Guilmon.

"_Yeah, she was. Apparently, you and Rika had a little communication problem because she came to Guilmon's hideout while me and Terriermon were there."_

"Oh right. I guess I forgot to tell Rika that you two would check on Guilmon."

"_And I'm guessing Rika forgot to tell you that Renamon was doing the same thing. Now about your jam…"_

"Right, when Rika volunteered at the bakery, she and I kind of grew closer than I thought. She…um, how can I put this? She…kind of…kissed me on the cheek."

"_I don't see how that's an issue, Takato. It essentially means that Rika's fond of you in more ways than one,"_ Henry said.

"That's not the issue, Henry. When Rika kissed me, Jeri saw it. She freaked out and ran off," Takato said. "I'm afraid of losing her as a friend."

"_Well I'm glad you called and told me first, Takato. If Jeri told me, then I would have to call you an idiot."_

"Tell me something I don't know. By the way, how are the Digimon?"

"_Terriermon's his usual self, Guilmon's been playful, and Renamon's been…well…aloof."_

"Not surprised there. I'll talk to you later, Henry."

"_Later, Takato."_ With that, Takato hung up and went to bed, the main thought on his mind being explaining everything to Jeri when he saw her. He liked Rika and her, but he knew that he would have to find out how he truly saw the latter. If he saw her as a sister rather than a lover, then he would be perfectly content. He knew that if it was the other case, however, then he'd be screwed. Takato decided to sleep on it tonight and see if he couldn't find his answer. Lucky for Takato, his parents didn't have him working the next day.

* * *

Morning came and Takato got ready to head out to find Jeri. First thing's first, though; he decided to check on Guilmon and give him some bread. "Hey, boy, how are you?" Takato asked.

"I'm fine. What about you, Takato?"

Takato sighed. "To be honest, Guilmon, I'm not doing so hot."

"How come? Did you forget your coat?"

"No, not that," Takato chuckled. "Actually, it's about a friend of mine named Jeri. For a while, I thought I liked her as more than a friend. But then Rika entered my life and it made me rethink my relationship with Jeri, what I truly see her as…Now that I think about it, Jeri's actually been kind of like a little sister to me."

"Why don't you tell her, Takato?"

"I'm planning to, Guilmon."

"Planning to what, Takato?" Henry asked, scaring both Takato and Guilmon.

"Man, you two are silly," said Terriermon.

"Ha-ha, very funny. At least I don't look silly," Takato retorted.

"Touché," Terriermon said.

"I take it that you and Guilmon were talking about Jeri?" asked Henry. Takato nodded. "And you slept on it and discovered that you see her as a little sister?" Another nod. "To be honest, Takato, looking back, you've never made a move on Jeri. The last few conversations you had with her, you weren't exactly sweating bullets. Sure, you still trip up thanks to Kazu and Kenta, but that wasn't because of nervousness. That was because those two idiots like to push you around."

Takato thought about it and it only confirmed his conclusion on Jeri. Now he hoped that she would come to the same conclusion. "Now I'm sure I've got to talk to Jeri."

"Be sure to find her before Rika does. Who knows what kind of mayhem might ensue."

"Got it," Takato said before taking off.

"Oh, and don't forget Guilmon!" Henry shouted as Guilmon went after Takato.

"Why do I need to bring Guilmon along? Jeri can't possibly know about the Digimon."

"That's why you're going to let her in on this secret. That way, she'll know about something else besides your relationship with Rika."

"Okay, Henry, if you insist," Takato said, getting a nod from Henry.

* * *

A while later, Takato found Jeri sitting by herself under a tree at the school. He told Guilmon to hide behind a building until he called him. "Hey, Jeri," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just thinking about stuff. Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?" Jeri asked. "Was she the reason you didn't want to go skating with me?" Takato saw that Jeri had tears in her eyes as she asked him.

"No, she wasn't. I told you the truth when I said that I had to help at the bakery yesterday. I only just met her after I told you."

"Why did that girl look so familiar, Takato? Who was she?"

"Her name is Rika Nonaka," Takato answered, shocking Jeri.

"Do you mean Mariko Nonaka's daughter?" Jeri asked.

"And she's also the 'Digimon Queen'. She won the card tournament last year after the disappearance of Ryo Akiyama."

"Wow, I didn't know that a celebrity would kiss you." Takato sighed.

"Jeri, there's a few things we need to talk about," he said.

"Like what?"

"Well, you saw that Rika kissed me, right?" Jeri nodded. "The truth is, Rika and I entered a relationship immediately after that. I went to bed thinking about my relationship with you and discovered that—and you might be disappointed about this—we only have a sibling-like relationship. I guess that's why I wasn't so nervous around you anymore."

"I see…you know, Takato, I'm not disappointed. I've been thinking about the same thing, and I came to the same conclusion you did. I guess I just freaked out that the boy I saw as a brother was kissing another girl. The only time I saw that happen was between my mom and dad," Jeri said. "Now, what was the other thing you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh yeah. Okay, Guilmon, you can come out now!" Takato shouted. Jeri looked and saw an undersized dinosaur. She shrieked, causing Takato and Guilmon to think she was scared. It was the exact opposite actually.

"Oh my Lord, Takato, he is so cute!" Jeri said excitedly.

"Heh, cute wasn't what I was going for, but that'll work. The reason I'm showing you Guilmon was because Henry thought I'd better let you in on another secret. He and I are Digimon Tamers. I personally created Guilmon as my partner while Henry's got Terriermon."

"What about Rika? Is she a Tamer too?" Jeri asked.

"I'm not sure that's my place to say anything about," Takato said as Guilmon sniffed the air. "What is it, boy? You're eyes aren't feral, so it must be a friendly one, isn't it?"

"Takato, Renamon's nearby," Guilmon said. Even after entering a relationship with Rika, Takato was still scared of Renamon. He looked on the rooftops and saw Renamon.

"Renamon, why don't you come down? Guilmon already sniffed you out !" Renamon closed her eyes and shook her head before jumping down to join them. Her graceful landing was awed by Jeri.

"Don't think I'm switching partners, little girl," Renamon said.

"Takato, is Renamon Rika's partner?" Jeri asked. Takato looked to Renamon for permission, which she granted with a nod.

"Yeah, she is. I have to say, between her and Guilmon, Renamon's the better fighter," Takato answered.

"Didn't Rika tell you not to sell yourself short, Takato?"

"Oh yeah, she did, didn't she? Whoops, sorry about that."

"Try not to let it happen again," said Renamon.

"No promises," Takato joked.

"Why are you telling her about the Digimon, Takato?"

"Rika told you what happened at the bakery, didn't she?" Renamon gave him a grunt in confirmation. "Well, this is Jeri. She's a friend of mine and the girl that freaked out when Rika kissed me." Renamon took a closer look at said girl and saw her as competition for Rika over Takato. "Renamon, Jeri and I talked and we discovered that it's more like a brother-sister type relationship."

"Oh? So you two are like siblings?"

"Exactly. Henry insisted that I show Guilmon to Jeri and let her in on that secret, primarily because she's been our friend for a long time."

"Oh yeah, Matsuki? You didn't tell us you had a Digimon," a voice said. Takato and the others turned around and saw Kazu and Kenta walking towards them.

"Renamon, go find either Rika or Henry," Takato whispered. Renamon nodded and vanished.

"That's a nice little Digimon you've got there, Matsuki. Mind if we play with him?" Kazu asked.

"Yeah, I mind! I'm not going to let you near him!" Takato shouted with fierceness that the bullies never saw before. Takato developed this from hanging out with both Henry and Rika. Sadly, it wasn't enough to stop either of them from pushing him down. This angered Guilmon and Jeri greatly.

"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon shouted, firing a Pyro Sphere at the duo. Kazu's shoulder got scraped and Kenta fell on his ass.

"You're going to pay for that, you little…" Kazu began before being interrupted.

"Pay for what, Kazu!" a voice shouted. It belonged to Henry, who didn't bother hiding Terriermon. "Nobody pushes Takato and Guilmon around and gets away with it. You two ought to know that!" Henry exclaimed.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it, Wong?" Kenta asked. "All you've got for a Digimon partner is a mutated rabbit."

"I'll show you a mutated rabbit! Bunny Blast!" Terriermon exclaimed. He fired a light-yellow energy blast at Kazu and Kenta. This time, Kazu got knocked on his ass while Kenta got his shoulder scraped. The bullies decided to hightail it out of there before they got hit again. Henry then helped Takato onto his feet.

"Are you guys okay?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, Henry, thanks," Takato answered. "I guess Renamon found you?"

"No. Terriermon and I saw Kazu and Kenta headed here, so we decided to see what they were up to. You must've asked Renamon if she could find either me or Rika, didn't you?

"That's right, and if she didn't find you, she must've gone looking for Rika," Jeri said.

"Takato!" Rika shouted, having just arrived there. "Okay, where are the bullies?" she asked.

"Ms. Nonaka, Guilmon and Terriermon scared them off," Jeri said.

"They did?" The other three nodded their heads. They explained everything that happened, including the part where Guilmon and Terriermon fired off their respective ranged attacks. "Wow…it seems as if I underestimated Terriermon after all. I'm sorry about that," Rika said.

"Momantai. The reason was probably my size, right?" Terriermon asked.

"Yeah, it was." Takato thought of an idea.

"Come to think of it, Henry, Guilmon and Terriermon haven't battled each other yet."

"Are you saying that you want to have a battle, Takato?" Henry asked, getting a smirk and nod from Takato. After a few moments, Henry got the same smirk. "Okay, you're on."

* * *

They moved over to the park to begin their battle, not wanting to cause any damage to the school. "Okay, Takato, you can have the first attack, but just give us a sec, alright?"

"Um, okay," Takato said. Henry pulled out his D-Power and a card.

"Digi-Modify, Digivolution Activate!" This shocked Takato, Guilmon, Rika, and Renamon while Jeri just looked in awe.

"Terriermon Digivolve to…Gargomon!" What stood in Terriermon's place was a larger version of him. He had green on his face and ears, what looked like war paint on his face, and he wore a bullet belt over his shoulder. On his hands were a pair of what looked like Gatling Guns and on his legs were a pair of pants.

Takato got his D-Power out. "Oh man, this is Gargomon, Terriermon's Champion state. He's an Animal-type. If Guilmon doesn't dodge quickly enough, he'll be a target for his Gargo Lasers and a punching bag for his Bunny Pummel. Guilmon, I think you're going to get another challenge here."

CHAPTER 5 END

* * *

**Alright, so Takato and Guilmon are getting ready to battle Henry and Terriermon's Champion state Gargomon. I wonder what's going to happen next. Stay tuned.**


	6. Guilmon v Gargomon

**Alright, ladies and gents, this is where Gargomon and Guilmon battle. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Guilmon v. Gargomon**

Takato and the others were pretty concerned. Guilmon is only in his second battle and he's already up against a Champion level Digimon. Rika noticed that Henry wasn't as concerned as the others. "I normally wouldn't have done this, but I chose to Digivolve Terriermon to Gargomon because he and Guilmon got into a little wrestling match yesterday. I know that Terriermon's small, but I think Guilmon's gotten stronger after his fight with Renamon. I just figured I'd even up the playing field a bit," Henry said. Really, he was worried for a whole different reason.

"How can you call that even? Sure, Gargomon's bigger, but he can still use those ears of his to ride the wind!" Rika shouted.

"Don't worry, Rika. I've got that covered," said Takato. Rika had a puzzled look on her face until she remembered the card battles they had, including one specific card he has.

"That's right. You've got the 'Hyper Wing' card. I forgot about that." Renamon, in the meantime, had made her own observation of the battle.

"Guilmon should be able to move faster than Gargomon whether Takato uses the 'Hyper Speed' card or not. Then again, looks can be deceiving." The two combatants got ready to battle with Rika acting as the referee. Gargomon spun his revolvers once while Guilmon got ready to pounce. Rika gave the signal and Guilmon decided to start with a ranged attack.

"Pyro Sphere!" he shouted. He fired the Pyro Sphere at a fast pace, catching Gargomon off guard. Once Gargomon almost recovered, he saw Guilmon headed towards him raising an arm up. "Rock Wrecker!"

"Bunny Pummel!" Gargomon shouted. He blocked his attacking arm with one hand and knocked Guilmon in the air with the other. Takato decided that now was a good time to use the card Rika had mentioned.

"Digi-Modify, Hyper Wing Activate!" he exclaimed. The all-too-familiar wings appeared on Guilmon's back so he couldn't fall into Gargomon's next attack.

"Gargo Lasers!" This was the attack that Henry was worried about the most. Gargomon fired a whole bunch of shots at Guilmon, who dodged each one. Takato knew that with Rika, Renamon, and Jeri standing by, he would have to be a good enough shot not to affect them while Guilmon hit Gargomon.

"Digi-Modify, Target Lock Activate!" the newest Tamer exclaimed again. Unfortunately for Henry, Gargomon was about to go berserk. The Champion Level Digimon didn't hear what Takato's next card was. "Now, Guilmon!"

"Right, Takato. Pyro Sphere!" Gargomon tried to destroy the incoming attack with his Gargo Lasers, but to no avail. He was hit smack-dab on the top of his head. When the smoke cleared, instead of a knocked- out Terriermon, there was still Gargomon. Henry knew that this was bad news, considering that Gargomon went berserk in the past.

"Everyone, duck for cover!" Henry exclaimed. Jeri and Rika hid behind one tree while Renamon hid behind another. Takato and Henry each hid behind a rock. Gargomon started firing his Gargo Lasers and shooting everything in sight, still dazed from the Pyro Sphere that hit him not too long ago.

"Why didn't that brainiac warn us about Gargomon going nuts!?" Rika asked loud enough for Renamon to hear.

"I believe he did say that on a normal basis, he wouldn't have Digivolved Terriermon! This must be the reason why! He must be trying to teach Gargomon some self-control!" Renamon responded. Rika's D-Power rang. She answered it, knowing that it was Takato.

"Are you three safe, Rika?!" he asked.

"We're fine, Takato, thank you! Is Guilmon still in the air?"

"Yeah he is, but *argh* he can't get in close enough to Gargomon to knock him out! I've got an idea, but can you trust me with Renamon?" The question surprised Rika since she was Renamon's partner. No surprise, Rika gave him a trusting look. This was enough to activate the feature that they couldn't figure out yet. "D-Link? This must be the feature that we couldn't figure out! Don't worry, Rika. I'll have Renamon back in one piece."

"Okay, Takato, I wish you and Renamon good luck," Rika said.

"Takato, Digi-Modify me now!" Renamon said.

"You got it, Renamon!" Takato said. He pulled out a couple of cards, one of which he didn't remember having. _'That's strange. I don't remember having this card before. Rika must've given it to me when we kissed at the bakery yesterday. I'll use this on Guilmon,"_ he thought. "Cross Digi-Modify, Hyper Speed Activate!"

"That's the ticket!" Rika and Renamon both said. Renamon went faster than her normal self, punching and jumping on Gargomon. The machine-gun-toting rabbit tried to hit her with a Bunny Pummel, but Renamon was too fast. She then tripped up Gargomon and pinned him to the ground. "Now, Guilmon!"

"Digi-Modify, Renamon's Diamond Storm Activate!" Takato exclaimed, shocking Rika that Takato would use the card she gave him. It shocked Renamon as well that Rika would entrust her trademark attack to Takato and Guilmon, who, luckily, still had the 'Target Lock' card activated.

Guilmon got into the familiar stance as diamond shards formed around him. "Diamond Storm!" he exclaimed. The diamonds were hurled towards Gargomon as Renamon got out of the way. Once they hit Gargomon, he De-Digivolved back to Terriermon knocked out. Guilmon came down to the ground as the 'Hyper Wing' wore off. "Oh boy, that was close."

"You said it, Guilmon," Takato said. He then looked over at Henry, who was shook up at the events. Henry picked up Terriermon, sad that the self-control training wasn't paying off yet. "Henry?"

"I'm sorry, guys. I'm still working with Gargomon on that. On a technical note, Takato and Guilmon won that, even if you did have to get Renamon to help. I honestly don't know what to do about this," Henry said.

"Sorry, Henry, but I'm afraid I can't accept the win if you couldn't control Gargomon. I'd rather win under the condition that both of us have control. If that's not the case, then there was no point to the battle to begin with." While Takato was saying all of that, Rika looked at him, amazed that he won a battle but didn't take it as a victory.

"Takato, I want you to do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"I want you to create a Champion State for Guilmon. I need a failsafe should Gargomon lose it again, got it?"

"I got it, Henry," Takato said.

* * *

Afterwards, they said goodbye to Henry and dropped Jeri off at her house. Rika saw that Takato had a lot on his mind. "Takato," she said, catching his attention. "I'll help you with that Champion State for Guilmon. I'm doing this because I feel like we should be spending as much time together as possible. Plus, you Digi-Modified Renamon and used the 'Diamond Storm' card on Guilmon. I figured that it's the least I could do."

"Thanks, Rika. I really appreciate it. You know, all in all, it wasn't a bad fight, despite Gargomon's state of mind. If Henry had better control over him, it probably would've been better."

"Do you have an idea for a Digivolved form for Guilmon?"

"I've got a pretty good idea, Rika," Takato said. This made Rika curious. "It's still early. I think we can get started once we get to my place…or do you want to do this at your house?"

"Sorry. My mom's going to be home tonight from England and I've got no doubt she's going to make me try on dresses that she bought from there. Your place it is."

"I know you have the right to wear what you want, but I'm sure the dresses she buys you can't be that bad, can it?"

"She made me take photos, Takato. Take a look," she said, handing her phone to her boyfriend. Once he looked at the photos, he compared Rika's looks in the pics to her personality.

"The only thing I'm going to say is that as good as you look in the dresses, you look better in a shirt and jeans. I love you just the way you are, Rika," Takato said.

Rika kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks. Let's get to the bakery, alright? I'll call Grandma and tell her where I'm at."

"That sounds good to me."

* * *

The couple made it to the bakery safe and sound. Once they got to Takato's room he got out his sketchpad while Rika called her house. Unfortunately for her, her mother Mariko answered it. _"Hi, Rika dear! I need you to come home as soon as possible because I've got these fantastic dresses for you to try on. They are absolutely adorable!"_ Rika grimaced at the thought of trying on another dress, and since she had the phone on 'Speakerphone', Takato grimaced too.

"Uh, Mom, you're home sooner than I thought. Hello."

"_So where are you, dear? I want you to be home safe and sound."_

"Yeah, I hear you, Mom. I'm actually at the Matsuki Bakery downtown."

"_What are you doing there? That bakery's got to be closed by now."_ Then for a minute, Takato and Rika didn't hear anything. _"Rika, are you hanging out with Takato Matsuki? You know that you two go to different schools. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if he was too shy to ask you out on a date."_

Rika gave Takato a look telling him to speak up. "Uh, hi, Ms. Nonaka. It's a lovely day, isn't it?" Takato said nervously.

"_So you are with Rika, aren't you, Takato. At least she's capable of making friends with a lovable baker's boy."_

"Hey, Mom, if I send you a picture, are you going to make me try on dresses?" Rika asked.

"_If you send me a picture of something adorable, you don't have to try on dresses for two weeks."_ That put a mischievous smirk on Rika's face. Takato knew the idea and went with it. She put her arm around his neck, kissed his cheek, took a picture and sent it to her mother. Once she got it, she squealed in delight. _"Oh my goodness, Rika, you two look great together. Well, a deal's a deal. See you two later,"_ Mariko said.

"Bye, Mom. I'll see you when I get home." Rika then pushed the 'Call End' button. "So what's the idea for Guilmon's Champion form?"

"A Champion-Level Digimon is usually a bigger version of the Rookie state, right?" Takato asked.

"Yes."

"I figured that Guilmon could have that trait as well." He continued to draw the new form, adding some features such as hair on top of his head and blades on the wrists. Rika remembered Guilmon's color scheme, so she colored the stripe patterns black, the belly, hair, and claws white, and the rest of his body red.

"I did get the color scheme right, didn't I?" she asked. Takato looked at it and was immediately satisfied.

"The color scheme is great, Rika. Thank you," Takato said, kissing her on the lips. "I've thought about it and I've come up with a perfect name for him."

"What is it?"

"How does 'Growlmon' sound?" Rika thought about it while looking at the picture. She knew that Champions were fierce and she knew that Takato drew this Digimon to look fierce as well.

"Growlmon sounds perfect," she said. "We're also going to have to find out more about that 'D-Link' feature."

"We can figure it out after school tomorrow. Thanks again, Rika." They looked at the time and saw that Rika had better be heading home. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"I'd appreciate that."

CHAPTER 6 END

* * *

**Sorry it took so long, but one of my constant reviewers for my **_**Sonic**_** stories, Rad Dudesman, told me in a review for 'Chaos Control to PacWorld' that inspiration takes time. Plus I've been a little busy with work and all. I sure hope I didn't botch this one.**

**So Growlmon will make his debut in the next chapter. I'm also introducing HYPNOS and wild Digimon as well. Stay tuned.**


	7. The Mysterious Organization

**The Mysterious Organization**

In the night skies of Shinjuku, a seemingly ordinary building looms over the city. Within the walls of this building, however, are mysterious people, almost as if they were government officials. Two of them were on chairs typing on keyboards of sorts. Both of them were women wearing white outfits and silver visors. There was a giant digital map of sorts over their heads. They were scanning for digital anomalies, one of which they found trying to bio-emerge from the Digital World. "Sir, a digital anomaly has just been spotted in downtown Shinjuku. The estimated time until its bio-emergence is 3 minutes," one of the women said.

Below them was the head honcho of the group. He wore sunglasses everywhere he went. He also had on a type of suit that government officials would wear. In his right hand was a lighter, which he often flips open and close when it comes to situations such as this. "Well what do you know? This one must be a quick one. We won't be able to take it out remotely in time. We'll have to take the direct approach," He said. He would soon meet up with the Tamers as well.

* * *

Takato and Rika were halfway to Rika's house when their D-Powers went off. "It looks like my mom and Grandma Seiko are going to have to wait. We've got a wild Digimon," Rika said. Takato nodded in agreement. He then looked at the map on his D-Power.

"That's not good. It's at the downtown district," Takato said.

"Didn't you say that that's where Guilmon came to life?"

"That's right. I hope we can get there in time." It's a good thing Rika knew a shortcut through the park to downtown. They stopped for a few seconds to get Guilmon before heading over to the wild one. Once they got to downtown, Takato and Rika jumped a rail and landed on their feet. Guilmon tried to do the same thing, but wound up on his back. "Are you okay, Guilmon?" Takato asked his partner.

"I'm just fine, Takato. That is, aside from the rough landing," Guilmon answered. Renamon showed up and helped Takato get Guilmon back on his feet. The four of them heard laughing going on, combined with the roar of an elephant. It charged at the Tamers and their Digimon. Renamon moved Guilmon out of the way while Takato grabbed Rika's wrist and pulled her out of its path. He had a good look at the Digimon and saw that it looked like a woolly mammoth. He pulled out his D-Power to scan it.

"That's Woollymon, an Animal-type at the Champion level. If his Woolly siren doesn't kill you, then his Mammoth Rampage will. Rika, that's the same Digimon from my dream."

"Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious. This one, however, seems to be a lot stronger despite the fact that it's just a Champion level." Woollymon turned around and charged at Guilmon and Renamon again. The only thing they could do was move out of the way. Takato looked on his D-Power again and saw a pleasant surprise. "Sweet! Guilmon has his Champion form now!"

"Then I say it's a good time to try him out," Rika said. "I was saving this card for Renamon once she unlocked her Champion state, but I think you should use it." She handed him a card—the same card that Henry used to Digivolve Terriermon to Gargomon.

"Thanks, Rika. Digi-Modify, Digivolution Activate!" This was the first time Rika had seen a basic Digivolution process being used on a Digimon changing form for the first time. She just hoped it worked.

"Guilmon Digivolve to…Growlmon!" Growlmon stood at a good even height with Woollymon. Like in the picture, he kept Guilmon's color scheme. He also had a more intimidating look than his Rookie state, blades on his wrists, and white hair on his head. "Guess what, Woollymon. Now it's my turn to charge," Growlmon said. As Woollymon charged at him, Growlmon braced himself. He held Woollymon by the tusks and planted his feet firmly on the ground. The giant dinosaur then readied an energy blast that was similar to Guilmon's Pyro Sphere. "Pyro Blaster!"

The blast knocked Woollymon several feet back. Takato got another card out. "Digi-Modify, Hyper Speed Activate!" Growlmon charged at Woollymon as he brought some energy toward his blades.

"Dragon Slash!" This caught Woollymon by surprise. Once Growlmon hit him with the Dragon Slash, he was then scattered into data and absorbed. Once that was done, Growlmon De-Digivolved back to his previous state as Guilmon. "Oh boy, that was a rush," Guilmon said. Renamon had a slight smile on her face, showing that she was proud of him.

"You were awesome, Guilmon!" Takato exclaimed. The group felt a huge breeze coming down.

"I don't think we're done yet!" Renamon exclaimed as a helicopter landed. Out stepped some government officials ready to apprehend Guilmon and Renamon. Guilmon's eyes grew feral, something that Renamon noticed. "Stay your ground, Guilmon."

One of the officials stepped in and took a good look at the four of them. "Neither of these two were the one we were looking for. One of them must've destroyed it." The official then looked at the kids. "Which one was it?" he asked. Takato looked to Rika for confirmation. She nodded her head to give it to him.

"It was my partner Guilmon. He Digivolved to his Champion form, destroyed it, and absorbed its data," Takato said.

"So you two are Digimon Tamers, huh? I'm not all that impressed. Me personally, I don't believe a Digimon can be tamed, only deleted. If they don't want that, then they need to stay in the Digital World where they belong. They're nobody's 'friends' or 'partners'. Only bits of data. And that's all they'll ever be." Takato and Rika didn't like the way he talked about Digimon, especially since he was mainly referring to their partners. "I will give you credit, kid. You've got guts. That stern look on your face, combined with the fact that your Digimon took care of an issue that I was going to get my hands dirty with, shows that you two have a strong bond. I'll leave you kids alone for now. Go home, rest up, and if we come across another digital anomaly, you had better hope you take it out before running into me again."

The officials got back in the helicopter at the leader's orders. Once the chopper took off, the leader had one thought on his mind: _'I've got to find out who those kids are.'_

"Man, that was weird," Takato said.

"You got that right. Who was that guy?"

"I don't know, but he does have a vendetta against all Digimon, that's for sure." The kids looked towards their partners. "I'm still glad that Growlmon didn't go loco like Gargomon did. Now Henry has his failsafe. Oh, here's your card back, Rika."

"Thanks, Takato, but you keep it. I've actually got another one," said Rika.

* * *

A while later, Takato got Rika home safely, and after a stern talking to from Mariko about being out at night, Takato went on his way home, kissing Rika goodnight. He got Guilmon to his hideout and got home in one piece. He, of course, had to apologize to his parents, but they dismissed it. It turns out that they were just happy that he was still alive. He went up to his room and got ready for bed. Takato activated his D-Power's communications function and spoke to Henry. "Henry, I've got some good news and some bad news."

"_*yawn* Okay, Takato, give me the bad news first,"_ Henry said tiredly.

"The bad news is that there's a government organization whose boss is 100% anti-Digimon. As a matter of fact, I'm still amazed that he left Guilmon and Renamon alone."

"_A government official who is against Digimon? For some strange reason, I'm not that surprised. This is why I warned you to keep Guilmon hidden, Takato. I don't know why people are like that."_

"Yeah, I know."

"_What about the good news?"_

"Oh yeah, Guilmon has his Champion state now. Rika helped me complete it by coloring it in. His name is Growlmon and he didn't go nuts like Gargomon did."

"_That just leaves Renamon without a Digivolved form."_

"I know. I agreed to help Rika out with that. Renamon's Champion state has got to be pretty powerful. I'm going to go to sleep, Henry. I think that yawn of yours is contagious. Goodnight."

"_Goodnight, Takato."_

* * *

The next day, Takato and Henry were just going through the halls when they spotted a crowd laughing at Kazu and Kenta. Apparently, the kids, Jeri included, were laughing because they didn't believe a word they were saying. "B-B-But it is true. There were actual Digimon. Matsuki, Wong, and Jeri were there with them," Kenta said.

"Yeah right, and I'm the Shogun's little sister," said one little girl.

"You two have pestered Takato enough already. What makes you think we're going to believe you?" a little boy said.

"Just the simple fact that we don't lie," said Kazu.

"Bull crap! You're lying right now." While this was going on, Jeri slipped out of the group and joined Takato and Henry.

"Let me guess: Kazu and Kenta are trying to tell them about the Digimon, but no one will believe them," said Henry.

"Yep, and get this: Sarah over there said that she was going to pull one on Kazu in class later today."

"She's going to have him sit on a tack, isn't she?" Takato asked.

"No. She got in trouble for that last time. She'll use the classic Whoopee Cushion. Kazu may be the class clown, but Sarah's the school prankster. You better thank God that she likes you Takato, otherwise you would have to take a sick day on April Fool's Day."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay, kids, let's get to class. I'll have Kazu and Kenta in detention at the end of the day, maybe sooner if they act up again." The kids, including Takato, Henry, and Jeri, entered the classroom. As soon as everyone sat down, they heard this sound: 'Ppppffffhhhhtttt!' Kazu was red in the face as everyone laughed at him, including Kenta. Kazu dug out the Whoopee Cushion and immediately knew that it was Sarah. "At least she stuck with a classic this time," Ms. Asagi said.

* * *

After school, Takato, Henry, and Jeri went to meet up with Rika at the park. Since Terriermon was portable, Henry took him everywhere he went, which meant that they were meeting up with Guilmon as well. Rika, Renamon, and Guilmon spotted them. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Not much, Rika. Guess what," Takato said.

"What?" Rika asked.

"One of our classmates is a girl who happens to be the school prankster. She used the classic Whoopee Cushion gag on Kazu earlier," said Jeri.

Rika and Renamon went wide-eyed at this. "That…is…hilarious."

"It's not as funny as when Takato thought I was a giant squirrel," said Renamon, obviously teasing Takato.

"Hey it's not my fault. You were literally a shadowy blur when I saw you. Ease off." Rika smiled at the interaction between the two and kissed Takato on the cheek.

"It's okay, Takato. Renamon's just teasing you," Rika said.

"You know, now that I've got a good look at you two, I can tell that you're made for each other," Henry commented.

"Henry…" said Terriermon.

"Momantai, Terriermon."

"I think Henry and Terriermon had switched jobs for a day," Takato quipped to Renamon.

"I wholeheartedly agree."

"Guys, we still have to find out more about that government agency and their head honcho. Takato, did you fill Henry and Jeri in on it?" Rika asked.

"Yeah, I told Henry last night and we informed Jeri during lunch. Henry probably told Terriermon as well." Terriermon nodded his head. "Another thing that we're going to have to find out more on is that D-Link feature on our D-Powers."

"That's why I decided to meet up here with you guys. The bad news is that since Jeri's in the group, despite not having a Digimon Partner, this involves her as well."

"For a while, I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to see if I could find anything else on these things. I actually found a digital instruction manual of sorts. It even has the D-Link operations instructions on it. One of the requirements is a trust between both Tamers that are looking to link up, like Takato and Rika," said Henry. "As Takato figured out, if you want to Digi-Modify your partner's Digimon, you're going to have to announce a 'Cross Digi-Modification'. The only cards that this will not work with are basic Digivolution cards, in which case, there are 'Cross-Digivolution' cards. I picked up six of them. That's two for each of us."

"Hey these are neat," said Takato. Takato and Rika's D-Powers went off and saw that they had a call from the same person. They activated the holograph screen and saw the agent from before. "It's you."

"_I thought you two kids looked familiar. A model's daughter and a baker's boy, and both are Tamers. That's very clever, Takato Matsuki and Rika Nonaka. But I'm still not impressed. I'm not asking you to choose a different hobby. I'm telling you to,"_ said the agent.

"And why should we listen to you? You're just some jerk who wants to cause a digital holocaust! You don't even care how we would feel!" Rika shouted, saying what was on everyone's mind.

"_I'm doing this for your own good, kid! You two need to pick a different hobby besides that stupid card game you play all the time! I've already got enough problems on my shoulders without having you and your boyfriend getting in my way! Good day!"_

"Good riddance is more like it," said Takato.

"Now what's say we test out both the D-Link and Growlmon?" Henry suggested. The others nodded while Jeri smiled.

CHAPTER 7 END

* * *

**Wow. Seven chapters and they're all pretty good. I bet you can guess who the government agent is, as well as his organization. You guys can pretty much guess what the next chapter's going to focus on.**

**P.S.**

**I told you that I would bring up the squirrel joke again, didn't I?**


	8. Secrets

**Okay, time for Chapter 8 of 'Digimon Tamers: A Different Story'. I'm sorry that it took so long, but I've been working on a **_**Cardfight! Vanguard**_** three-shot that I hope readers under 18 aren't reading. Also, regarding my **_**Bleach**_** story 'Symbios-Issues', I don't know which of you have been reading it other than my buddy crazyblade89, so I'll continue to advertise the DC Comics poll I have on my profile page. I want to add a couple of DC Comics' characters in the mix as guests in addition to the issue mine and crazyblade89's OCs are facing alongside the Soul Reapers. I want you to pick which ones. **

**If you choose other, be sure to PM me and if it's a hero, mention one of the ones that don't get enough credit (this means that Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and the Green Lanterns Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, and John Stewart are out of the question. If you want to use a Green Lantern, you still have other choices such as Kilowag, Simon Baz, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner). The other choices are Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Green Arrow (Oliver Queen), and Deathstroke (Slade Wilson).**

**Now, let's get to Chapter 8.**

* * *

**Secrets**

Takato and Henry each got on a side of the field. This was to test Guilmon's Digivolved form Growlmon as a failsafe for Gargomon. Since they were also testing out the D-Link feature on their D-Powers, Takato and Guilmon were joined by Rika and Renamon as well, forcing Jeri to act as the ref. Growlmon was designed as the failsafe, but it wouldn't hurt to have Renamon just in case. "D-Link Activate!" Takato and Rika exclaimed. Their D-Powers linked, they began the battle. Rika and Henry each took a card out.

"Cross Digi-Modify, Cross Digivolution Activate!" shouted Rika.

"Digi-Modify, Digivolution Activate!" shouted Henry.

"Terriermon Digivolve to…Gargomon!"

"Guilmon Digivolve to…Growlmon!" The three fighters took their stances as Jeri looked at both sides to see if they were ready. The battle was also looked upon by a small Digimon with a red triangle on his head.

"Oh boy, this is going to be fun to watch," he said excitedly.

Henry and Gargomon had a good look at Growlmon with Gargomon letting out a whistle. "Now that's a big one," he said.

"At least we know the 'Cross Digivolution' cards work," said Henry with a nod. Gargomon spun his revolvers around while they waited for the signal. Jeri gave it and the battle started. Gargomon swung a fist at Growlmon, who caught it. The same thing happened again. Henry got a card out and swiped it. "Digi-Modify, Strength Activate!" he exclaimed. That evened Gargomon and Growlmon in pure strength.

Takato was the next to get a card out. "Cross Digi-Modify, Guilmon's Pyro Sphere Activate!" he exclaimed, catching Rika and Henry by surprise. Renamon hopped from Growlmon's tail to his head and jumped off before readying her hands.

"Pyro Sphere!" she shouted. The attack landed smack dab on Gargomon's head, causing him to pull back from Growlmon.

While Gargomon was distracted, Growlmon decided that this was the perfect time to attack. "Pyro Blaster!" he exclaimed. The attack again made contact with Gargomon, who was sent flying into several trees. Gargomon got back up and aimed both of his guns at Renamon and Growlmon.

"Gargo Lasers!" he shouted. He had one arm following Renamon, the other aimed at Growlmon.

"Oh man, this isn't good. Cross Digi-Modify, Hyper Speed Activate!" Takato said.

"Good idea, Takato. Cross Digi-Modify, Platinum Armor Activate!" Rika said. While Renamon got her speed boost, Growlmon became covered in shining armor to take less damage from Gargomon's shots. Luckily, he could still move at his own speed.

"Dragon Slash!" exclaimed Growlmon.

"Power Paw!" exclaimed Renamon. Both attacks came at Gargomon full strength.

"Bunny Pummel!" he shouted, slamming both of his opponents. Gargomon began riding the wind, so he turned around and aimed one of his guns at Growlmon and Renamon. He spun the barrel but nothing came out. "Uh-oh, I'm out of ammo."

"Well we've still got plenty, Gargomon," Renamon said. She and Growlmon took each other by the paws. Growlmon spun around twice and sent the fox towards the gun-toting rabbit at high speeds. "Power Paw!" she said. Renamon punched Gargomon twice on the face and once in the gut before kicking him down to Growlmon's range.

"Pyro Blaster!" The attack hit Gargomon dead-on without the use of Takato's 'Target Lock' card.

"Gargomon, are you alright?" Henry asked once Gargomon hit the ground.

"Yeah, Henry, I'm fine. And do you know what else?"

"What?"

"I feel like my old self again," Gargomon said. Henry breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God. How are you holding up, Jeri?" he asked Jeri, who was hiding behind a tree.

"I'm fine, Henry. Thanks for asking," she answered as Growlmon and Renamon rejoined them. "The winner of this battle is the team of Takato and Rika!" After Growlmon and Gargomon De-Digivolved, Takato noticed the little Digimon that was watching the fight. He then got his D-Power out.

"Jeri, there's a Digimon above your head. His name's Calumon. He's an In-Training level Digimon, so he doesn't have any special attacks. He is kind of cute, though," he said. Calumon then floated onto Takato's head.

"Hi there. What's your name?" he asked.

"My name's Takato. It's nice to meet you, Calumon."

"Do you want to play a game with me?"

"I'd love to, but we're a little busy at the moment."

"What about your friend the referee? Does she want to play?" he asked pointing at Jeri.

"Sure thing, Calumon. I'll play with you," Jeri said. Calumon jumped into her arms.

Takato laughed at Calumon's antics. "Well we found a friendly one, didn't we?"

"We sure did," said Rika.

"Okay, while Jeri's got Calumon distracted, I made an analysis of the battle. The Growlmon failsafe worked and Gargomon's under control now. This also leaves Renamon without a Digivolved state. The teamwork that she and Growlmon expressed through the D-Link also leaves little room for improvement, so that's good. But keep in mind that, even though you guys can Digi-Modify your partner's Digimon, you still need to Digi-Modify your own. Now we know how effective that D-Link is. Gargomon took a lot of damage from the combined attacks compared to Growlmon and Renamon," Henry said.

"And that just leaves one question unanswered."

"That's that creep in the suit and his government organization. We're going to have to look into that one a little further before he takes out all the Digimon. Lord knows that I would definitely miss Terriermon."

"Yeah and I don't want to lose Guilmon and Renamon either," said Takato.

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Takato," Rika said.

"Let's worry about 'Suit-n-Shades' later. We've got enough problems with wild Digimon and Kazu causing trouble for us," stated Henry.

"Now hold on just a minute, Henry. Why didn't you mention Kenta just know?" Rika asked.

"Takato, do you want to tell her or should I?"

"I'll tell her," Takato answered before turning to Rika. "If we're going to be in this team, as well as this relationship, Rika, then we need to let each other in on secrets. When Henry and I were younger, before we met Jeri, Kenta always hung out with us and we played the Digimon Card Game. The three of us were like brothers in the fact that most of the time, we stuck together. That was until Kazu came along and we discovered just how gullible and easily influenced Kenta was. Kazu took him away from the two of us and we felt betrayed by him.

"When we met Jeri, it was like she filled the void Kenta left in our group. Sure, she didn't play the Card Game, but she was welcome nonetheless. Overtime, my nervousness around her slowly faded away like a mirage in a desert. Until you and I kissed at the bakery, I didn't know why. The more we saw of Kazu and Kenta, the more we disliked them to the point of outright hatred for the former on my part. I honestly couldn't blame Kenta for the way he was, but I couldn't stand Kazu anymore than I could a forest fire. That's how much anger and hatred I have for that jerk," Takato finished explaining.

Rika took all that in with understanding. She knew what it was like to lose someone close to her. "That's so sad. I never knew that you had that much hatred for him. I've got something to share with you guys as well. When I was a kid, my dad always played with me. He'd push me on the swing and listened to me sing as well. He always enjoyed it and I always loved being with him. He was the nicest human being anyone could meet except for maybe Takato's parents. I loved him that much.

"A few years ago, though, my parents got a divorce and my mom got custody of me. My dad hasn't shown up for years and it broke my heart. Before I met Takato, I was called the 'Ice Queen' for a reason. I haven't really thought about it, but at the time my heart was so cold that Renamon turned out to be my only friend. My mom and I were never really close—still aren't—and I never really socialized with anyone. I even entered Digimon Card Tournaments, as you know, and lost to the 'Digimon King' Ryo Akiyama. He was essentially my answer to Kazu. That got me further into the dark," she finished.

"Ryo Akiyama? And to think I had a hero worship for the guy. That ended after he disappeared. I can't believe someone like him would turn out to be such a jerk to my girlfriend," Takato said while hugging Rika. "At least you're not alone, Rika. You have me to lean on for comfort. And on top of that, Henry, Jeri, and the Digimon are there for you as well."

"Takato's right. You can't get anywhere without your friends and loved ones by your side. We'll help you with any problems you might have. In fact, Terriermon and I can help you and Renamon reach her Champion state to begin with," said Henry, feeling as if he could trust Rika now.

"Do you guys really mean it?" Rika asked.

"Of course we do," said Takato. "We're in this together, all of us. We all need to look out for each other through thick and thin, no matter what happened in the past."

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

Meanwhile, another pair of eyes was watching them. The eyes belonged to a girl. _'Takato Matsuki, Henry Wong, Jeri Katou, and Rika Nonaka. I'm pretty interested in my new classmates. I wonder if I can get into Takato's class,'_ she thought.

CHAPTER 8 END

* * *

**And that, ladies and gentlemen, was Chapter 8. So who was the girl that was spying on them? Why was she spying on the battle? And what does she want with Takato? Find out next time on 'Digimon Tamers: A Different Story'.**

**Again, if you haven't read my Author's comment at the top of the chapter, there is a poll asking which DC Comics characters I should add to my **_**Bleach**_** story 'Symbios-Issues'. The choices are Nightwing, Deathstroke, Green Arrow, and Other. Each voter gets two votes. If you choose other, request it in a PM, and if it's a hero, make sure that you choose one that doesn't get enough credit. The 'Heroes who Get Too Much Credit' list consists of:**

**Bruce Wayne/Batman**

**Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman**

**Princess Diana/Wonder Woman**

**Jay Garrick/Flash I**

**Barry Allen/Flash II**

**Wally West/Flash III/Kid Flash**

**Bart Allen/Impulse/Kid Flash II/Flash IV**

**Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl**

**Katar Hol/Hawkman**

**J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter**

**Alan Scott**

**Hal Jordan**

**John Stewart**

**Also, remember that you can pick a villain as well. If I didn't give that choice, I wouldn't have put Deathstroke as one of the options.**


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